Power transmitting apparatus



NOV. 7, F. A. E L

POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 10, 1930 INVENTOR BY 8g Z 5. J 7 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 7, 1933 V UNITED STATES Paras Erica 13 Claims.

This invention relates to power transmitting apparatus, and more specifically to apparatus of such nature in which the relation between the driving and driven members in respect to rate and force of movement will follow predetermined curves.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above type of simple and dependable construction. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above type of efiicient and positive action. Other objects are to provide apparatus of the above type in which the force and rate of movement of the driven mem ber may be made to vary throughout its travel in accordance with any desired curves. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above type in which the curves above referred to may be varied by adjustment of the parts. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above type which may be self-locking at one stage of its travel. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinationsof elements,

and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The accompanying drawing is a semi-diagrammatic elevation of one of various possible embodiments of this invention.

Referring now to the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing, there is provided upon a suitable mounting 10 a gear sector or director 11 pivotally connected with the mounting at 12. This sector is provided with an extension 13 through a slot 14 in which passes an adjusting bolt 15 threaded as at 16 into the base or support. By means of this bolt, the angular position of the sector 11 may be adjusted at will. v

Meshing with the teeth 17 of the sector 11 is a toothed member 18 which may be considered as floating, although it is held in its proper pitched relation with the gear sector or director 11 by a linkage comprising the links 19 and 20. These links are jointed one to the other at 21, and link 19 is pivotally connected at 12, the axis of the joint 21 lyin in the pitch line of the director 11. The outer link is pivotally connected with a stub shaft 22 on the remote side of the member 18. Also connected with this shaft or boss 22, as by the link 23, is a lever 24 pivotally mounted upon the base, which lever may be considered as the driving element.

The driven member 25 is shown inthe form 01 a link pivotally connected to the upper end of a link 28 mounted as at 27 to swing upon the support or base. Also pivotally connected to the upper end of the link 26 is a link 28 which is pivoted at 29 to the near side of the rotary member 18.

In the range of travel of the member 18 along the toothed port on of the director 11, in which range it is moved by the swinging of the lever 24, the rate of travel and force of movement of the member 25 varies widely with a constant rate and force of movement of the driving member. In analyzing these factors, the pitch line of the gearing may be considered as the path of a movable fulcrum about which the floating member turns. With the parts in the position to the right, having reference to the drawing, indicated in dotted lines, the power is applied between the fulcrum and the point of connection of the link 28. As the member 18 travels to the left, however, the line of pull on the link 28 approaches the line of pull on the link 23 and finally passes the same, so that it will be nearer the fulcrum than is the point of application of the driving power. Thus, is the class cf lever changed. When the member 28 is toward the right, having reference to the drawing, there is a maximum rate of travel of the driven parts with a correspondingly slight force of movement. Toward the left of this rolling relation,v however, the rate of travel of the driven parts becomes much less than the rate of movement of the driving member, with a corresponding increase of force.- It is furthermore to be noted that by angular adjustment of the director 11, the phase of rate and force of movement of the driven members with respect to those factors in the driving member may be varied at will.

Although many valuable results maybe accomplished with the apparatus thus far described, there is'provided means'for an additional action. While the toothed portions of the members 11 and 18 are rolling along the pitch line, the virtual fulcrum of the member 18 constantly travels, as above noted. There is provided, however, upon the member 11 a rounded 1.

projection 30, and in'the member 18 a corresponding recess 3 When recess 31 reaches the projection 30, which it fits so as to pivot thereon, the axis of the member 18 becomes fixed at the central axis of the part30. Further-movement of the lever 24 toward the left, having reference to the drawing, swings the member 18 bodily about this fixed fulcrum, the link 19 at this stage having engaged a stop 32 mounted on director 11, permitting the link 20 to swing as indicated in the drawing. This fixed-fulcrum action may be continued to any desired extent, and the parts are preferably so shaped as to permit the axis of the connection 29 to swing into alignment with the fulcrum on the side remote from the connection of the link 28 with the link 26. In this position, the link 28 and parts associated therewith are locked against movement toward the right. It will also be seen that as the parts approach this locked position, the force of pull on the link 28 increases to a theoretically infinite value. Furthermore, it will be seen that if the connection 29 be placed with its axis opposite the pitch circle of the member 18, this locked position of the parts and theoretically infinite force of pull on the link 28 will be attained when the axis of the connection 29 arrives at the pitch circle of the geared director 11.

It will be understood that by movement toward the right of the various parts, a cycle of operations will be had which is the reverse of that above described.

It will be seen that by a suitable selection of the points of connection and proportioning of the parts, any desired curves of force and rate of movement of the driven member within wide limits may be achieved. For example, a wide variation in effect may be had in accordance with the radial distance of the point of connection 29 from the center of the shaft 22. Also, this variation in effect may be attained by an angular displacement of the centers of connection 29 and recess 31. 'With the parts proportioned substantially as shown, furthermore, there would be gained a rapid movement of the driven members as the lever 24 is swung toward the left, which movement would at any desired point become much slower with an attendant exercise of far greater force, an action of particular value in such relations as the application of brakes. It will also be seen that these actions are gained without the use of cams and sliding parts, which are commonly wasteful of power by reason of the friction which arises.

It will thus be seen that there is provided apparatus in which the several objects of the invention are readily achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a pair of members, means mounting said members in rolling circumferential relation one to the other and holding them in such relation, driving and driven members respectively connected with one of said first members at spaced points to form a leverage system, means adapted to change the class of leverage of one of said members with respect to the other, and means adapted to hold the other of said pair of members in any one of a plurality of positions.

2. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a member adapted for rotary and bodily movement, means adapted upon said member being moved to give it a combined bodily and rotary movement about a moving fulcrum, means adapted to apply power to said member at the axis about which it rotates, means deriving pow er from said member at a point spaced from said axis, and means for stopping the axial rotary motion of said member while permitting bodily movement of said member to form a lever for said second-mentioned means having a fixed fulcrum.

3. In a power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a rotatable gear, a stationary gear, a device for maintaining said rotatable gear in rolling relation with said stationary gear, a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable gear, a driving member connected to the axis of said rotatable gear, and stopping means at a point in the path of travel between said gears for halting rotation of said rotatable gear about its own axis While permitting bodily swinging of said rotatable gear relative to said stationary gear to form a lever for said driving member.

4. In a power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a pair of gears, means for maintaining said gears in rolling relation with each other, a driven member eccentrically connected to one of said gears, a driving member connected to the axis of said one gear for driving the latter, and means for changing said one gear from a lever having a travelling fulcrum to a lever for said driving member having a fixed fulcrum.

5. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a frame, a stationary gear secured to said frame, means adapted to regulate the angular position of a point on said gear with respect to said frame, a rotatable gear adapted to revolve about said stationary gear, means for maintaining said rotatable gear in rolling relation with said stationary gear, a driving member secured to the axis of said rotatable gear, a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable gear, and a stop for said rotatable gear at said point on said stationary gear to cause a cessation of rolling of said rotatable gear relative to said stationary gear and to effect a pivoting movement of said rotatable gear relative to said stationary gear.

6. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a support, a gear sector mounted on said support, a gear wheel, an arm pivotally mounted on said support and connected to said gear wheel to hold said gear wheel in mesh with said gear sector, a driven member eccentrically'connected to said gear wheel, and. a driving member connected to said gear wheel substantially at its axis whereby said driving member may impart bodily movement and consequent rotation to said gear Wheel.

7. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a director whose periphery forms an arc, a rotatable member, a part pivotally connected to said director substantially at its axis and of a length approximately equal to the radius of said arc, an element pivotally connected to the end of said part adjacent the periphery of said director, means for rotatably connecting the end of said element to the axis of said rotatable memben'said element and said part adapted to hold said rotatable member in rolling engagement with said director, a driving member connected to the axis of said rotatable member, and a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable member.

8. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a director whose periphery forms an arc, a rotatable member, a part pivotally connected to said director substantially at its axis and of a length approximately equal to the radius of said arc, an element pivotally connected to the end of said part adjacent the periphery of said director, means for rotatably connecting the end of said element to the axis of said rotatable member, said element and said part adapted to hold said rotatable member in rolling engagement with said director, a driving member connected to the axis of said rotatable member, a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable member, and means for regulating the position of said director.

9. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a director whose periphery forms an are, a rotatable member, a part pivotally connected to said director substantially at its axis and of a length approximately equal to the radius of said arc, an element pivotally connected to the end or" said part adjacent the periphery of said director, means for rotatably connecting the end of said element to the axis of said rotatable member, said element and said part adapted to hold said rotatable member in rolling engagement with said director, a driving member connected to the axis of said rotatable member, a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable member, and stopping means for said part at one end of said director whereby the bodily movement of said rotatable member about the director is halted while rotation thereof is permitted about the point of connection between said element and said part,

10. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a director, a rotatable member, means holding said member in rolling engagement with said director, a driving member connected to the axis of said rotatable member, a driven member, means eccentrically connecting said driven member to said rotatable member, and a member on said director extending into the path of movement of said holding means for substantially halting the bodily movement of said rotatable member while permitting rotation thereof about a point on said director as a fulcrum, said driven member being so positioned when said rotatable member is halted that the force applied by said driving member to said driven member approaches infinite.

11. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a stationary gear member, a rotatable gear member, means holding said rotatable gear member in mesh with said stationary gear member, driving means for giving said rotatable gear member bodily movement along said stationary gear member, a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable gear member, said rotatable gear member providing a traveling fulcrum for said driven member, and means for arresting the rotational movement of said rotatable gear member about its axis to provide a fixed fulcrum for said driven member.

12. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a stationary gear member, a rotatable gear member, means holding said rotatable gear member in mesh with said stationary gear member, driving means for giving said rotatable gear member bodily movement along said stationary gear member, a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable gear member, said rotatable gear member providing a traveling fulcrum for said driven member, and means for arresting the rotational movement of said rotatable gear member about its axis to provide a fixed fulcrum for said driven member, whereby at the start of said movement said rotatable gear member is a lever having a traveling fulcrum with the driving means intermediate said fulcrum and the driven member, and near the end of said movement said rotatable gear member is a lever having a fixed fulcrum with the driven member intermediate said fulcrum and said driving means.

13. In power transmitting apparatus, in combination, a stationary director member, a rotatable member, means for holding said rotatable member in operative relation with respect to said director member, driving means for giving said rotatable member bodily movement along said director member, a driven member eccentrically connected to said rotatable member, said rotatable member providing a traveling fulcrum for said driven member, and means for arresting the rotational movement of said rotatable member about its axis to provide a fixed fulcrum for said driven member.

FRED A. WARDELL. 

